Everything You Need To Know About Car Fog Light
What Is Fog Light?
The fog lamps and the front-facing fog lights are a type of
automotive headlight which is designed in such a way that it can emit light in
a bar-shaped beam. The beam is generally designed to have a sharp cut-off on
top, and the actual lights would be generally installed low and would be aimed
toward the ground at a sharp angle.
One can compare and contrast the position and orientation of fog lights with the high beam and low beam headlights so that it can be revealed exactly how different these seemingly similar devices are. The high beam as well as low beam headlights are aimed at a relatively shallow angle, which would allow them to illuminate the surface of the road a great distance in front of a vehicle. Now in contrast, the sharp angle would be utilized by the fog lights which would mean that they only illuminate the ground immediately in front of an automobile.
It would be actually the bar-shaped beam of light, and then the
way that beams would be aimed; it would make the fog lamp, rather than the colour.
Types Of Fog Light
Are you searching for the different types of fog lights? Then don’t worry!
All you have to do is to have a look below and then all your doubts regarding
its types would be cleared.
- HID (white, yellow, or blue)
- LED (white or blue)
- Halogen (white, yellow, or blue)
- HID Fog Light - If
you are searching for maximum performance and longevity, then you should
surely go with the HIDs as they would be the best choice. More light
output is provided by the HIDs than any other type of bulb in the market.
This specific bulb would come in around 10 different colour options.
- LED Fog Lights OPT 7 LED Fog Lights - If you want a leader in replacement LED headlight
bulbs, then you should surely go with OPT7. There are a lot of size
options in the LED conversion kit and it also produces a bright white light
colour. A light colour is produced by these LED bulbs which would look the
same to the HIDs, with some minor differences.
- Yellow Fog Lights - If
you want yellow halogen headlights, then you should definitely go with
this type of fog lights. A euro look would be provided by these headlights
and at the same time they would discharge a very yellow light.
- Blue Halogen Fog Lights - These types of bulbs are generally higher on the
colour temperature scale than most of the halogen bulbs, however, they
would likely be close to white, and with a slight blue tint. If you want
to go with blue, then increased visibility would be provided to you by
going lower on the temperature scale.
How Do Fog Light Works?
Are you searching how do the fog
light actually work? Then all you have to do is to have a look below
and then you will be able to understand everything.
- Now if you want to understand the working of the fig
lights, then first of all it is essential to understand how fog works. Fog
occurs regularly in many parts of the world, especially near large bodies
of water. When the conditions would be correct, then small water droplets
or ice crystals can start floating in the air, which would be just over
the surface of the ground. Fog acts like a cloud and blocks our views, so
in addition to that, the tiny water droplets or ice crystals would
decrease the visibility even further by reflecting light that would hit
them. It would make driving through fog with headlights, and especially
high beams, which can sometimes be very frustrating and dangerous
experience.
- So, in this case, fog lights are a solution. It would
take a different approach to all that water vapour hanging over the road.
They would work in a lot of poor visibility conditions, which would
include fog, mist, snow, and even blowing sand. If you want to see the
road through the fog, then there would be factory-equipped fog lights
which would be placed as low as reasonably possible, which is generally in
the lower bumper cover on most of the latest automobiles. Irrespective of
its appearance, the fog would not touch the ground, but it keeps on
hovering about 18 inches over the surface. The low placement of the fog
lights on an automobile would allow the vehicle light beam to hit the road
without interference. When there would be a sharp cut off angle in the top
of the light housing, then none of the beam would shine up to reflect off
the fog, which would only illuminate the road ahead. When it would be
angled downward, then there would be no reach of the headlights, but they
would light up enough of the road which would be ahead for the drivers so
that they can slowly make their way to their destination. Since the fog
lights would not just reflect the light back, the other drivers on the
road would be aware of your presence out on the road, which would make a
second safety benefit.
Purpose Of Fog Light
The main purpose of the fog lights is to light
the ground immediately in front of your car. It is mainly for very foggy
conditions when you would be travelling very slowly because of limited
visibility. It can sometimes be utilized in dark windy roads in the middle of
the night. When there would be a sunny day, then you might not even notice your
fog lights, and then there would be no purpose in using them during these times.
Symptoms Of Bad Fog Light
There are a few things
which might cause your fog light to malfunction. Watch for the following symptoms if you
suspect a bad fog light:
- One
of the most common symptoms of some issues with the fog light bulbs is fog
lights which would be dim or flickering. If the fog lights would start to
suddenly shine more dimly than normal or flicker when they would be turned
on, then it would indicate that the light bulbs have been worn out. Other
than not providing proper illumination, generally dim or flickering bulbs
would also approach the end of their service life and would likely only
have a short time before they would completely fail.
- Fog
Lights Do Not Turn On - One another symptom which would be related to the
faulty fog/driving light bulbs would be that they would not start at all.
If there would be some issue in the bulb or the filament might have worn
out, then it would leave the fog lights without functioning bulbs. There
would be a need to replace the faulty or non-functional bulbs so that the
functionality to the fog lights can be restored.
- The
fog light bulbs would be the same as any other bulbs. The fog lights are
generally used during specific driving conditions, so that’s why it is an
essential feature which can increase the safety.
Tools Needed For Fog Light
Are you thinking of repairing your Fog Light on your own? Then
there is one thing which you must have, that is the
right tools needed for repairing your Fog Light. It is essential to
make sure that you are outfitted with the right tools to get the work done
properly. Have a look at some tools which you might need to get started with
your repair work: -
- Screwdrivers
- Mechanics gloves
- Multimeter
- Cable ties
- Fog light connectors
- Switch & connector
- Fog light relay
- Red and black wire
- Wire splices
- Wire crimper
- Electrical
tape
- Wire conduit/loom
Top Brands Of Fog Light
When it comes to vehicle owners choice, the brands
really matter a lot. You might pay a premium for a specific car part brand,
over time, as it has created a perception of quality, stability as well as
trust. There are some leading car parts brands which are more than just
products or services as they give rise to memories and emotions related with
the quality. So have a look at some top brands for Fog Light.
Total Costs & Repair Times, Effort For Fog Light
There can be a number of factors due to which
the failure in the Fog Light might be caused like poor car maintenance, some
accident due to which the Fog Light might get damaged or there might be some
flaws during the quality control check at the factory where the car was
manufactured or sometimes it might happen because of not changing the Fog Light
on time. Whatever the cause might be, the replacement of the Fog Light is not
at all an easy process and if you want to achieve success, then it’s essential
to have the correct tools. This is the reason why you should leave the
replacement/repair procedure to the skilled mechanics who have the tools and
expertise to successfully complete the task. If you want to substitute your fog
light bulb, then it would generally range between $58 and $71. Talking about
the work expenses, they would range between $36 and $46 and the parts would be
valued somewhere in the range of $22 and $25.
How To Change Fog Light?
Do you want to change your fog light on your own? Then have a look at
the steps of changing the fog light below:
- First of all, it is very important to identify
the fog light which requires replacement. Then the fog light should be
turned on. Then you should walk around to the front of the car to see
which one requires to the replaced.
- Then the bulb should be removed from the back
of the housing. Then the bulb should be gently turned counter-clockwise,
and then the bulb should be pulled out from the retainer.
- The electrical connector should then be
disconnected from the fog bulb. The lock tab should then be squeezed and
then the plug should be pulled gently from the bulb.
Install the New Bulb into the Housing:
- Firstly, plug the electrical plug back in and
then the fog light housing should be put back into the right place. The
screws should then be refastened and then cover should be pushed back on.
- Then the fog lights should be switched to test
whether everything is ready.
- Now if the new bulb would work well, then it is essential to reinstall anything which has been removed during the process of disassembly. Now you have finished changing self-fix fog lights all by yourself.
Other Minor Electrical Problems:
- The blown fuse should then be changed
- You can easily locate the right fuse box by
reading the owner’s manual book.
- The cover should then be removed from the fuse
box.
- A fuse puller should be used to remove the old
fuse.
- The new one should then be replaced in the old
one’s place. Just make sure that they would have the same amperage rating.
- The fog lights should then be turned on to inspect the fuse.
Replace A Faulty Switch:
- The instrument panel should then be searched
around the switch, and then you should disassemble it.
- The retaining screws which would hold the
switch or take off the switch from the instrument panel should then be
removed.
- The wiring should then be pulled out gently.
Then it is essential to inspect the condition of the wiring. Make sure to
pull until the connector shows off.
- The switch should then be unplugged from the
connector.
- Then the new switch should be plugged in.
- The fog light should be switched to test.
- Now if you find out that everything would be
good, then the instrument panel should be reassembled back as before.